As we reach peak temperatures this summer, patients may be inquiring about polarized sunwear, transition lenses, and tinted or UV protected lens options. This is the best time to educate patients who currently enjoy outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, or biking without polarized lenses.

With increasing UV exposure and risk of permanent eye damage, polarized lenses are becoming more of a necessity than an optional fix. It doesn't hurt that your optometry practice could benefit from a second pair sale. Let us show you why stocking your optical dispensary with a range of polarized glasses will benefit both your active patients as well as your practice's profits.

We've shown you how to get your optometry practice to appear in local searches & Google Maps as well as how to grow your social media following. But, have you heard about online healthcare appointment platforms? These websites enable patients to search for optometrists, read reviews, and book appointments online at any time of day.

After scouring the competition, we found that Zocdoc was the only online directory that includes most types of healthcare professionals in the United States. However, all doctors and optometrists have to pay a monthly or annual fee to be included in the directory. Is it worth the investment? Read on to find out.

Most of your patients will know about the dangerous effects of UV rays on the eyes and skin, but do they know how the blue light emitted from their phones and computers may cause long-term eye damage? Although transition lenses and polarized sunglasses have surged in popularity, blue light filtering lenses are relatively new to the market.

Exposure to blue light is nearly inescapable due to our dependence on technology for work, connection with friends and family, and entertainment. Therefore, lenses that help protect retinas from the harmful effects are sure to become more widespread this year. Read on to find out why your optometric practice should carry blue light filtering lenses and glasses to get ahead of the curve.

It's likely you've already listed your optometry practice on Yelp, Zocdoc, and the AOA search. However, Google Reviews is quickly catching up to its competitors due to the success of Google Maps. How do you get your optometry practice reviewed on Google Maps? Registering your practice on Google My Business allows you to tell potential patients your story, request reviews, respond to reviews to show your voice, and post pictures of the practice you put effort into designing.

Considering around 1 billion monthly active users (41% of worldwide internet users) are on Google Maps, you don't want them to scroll past your practice because you have no information or reviews. Read on to see how creating a Google My Business account can literally put you on the map for new patients to find your practice without any expense on your part.

Messaging platforms are the preferred means of communication now. In 2017, Facebook Messenger had 1.3 monthly active users. As the monthly active user count grows, businesses are using messaging tools like Facebook Messenger to create chatbots to connect with customers and prospects to quickly deliver personalized information. A computer program that mimics human conversation, chatbots are becoming more common on websites across all industries.